How much of a Christmas bonus should I pay my nanny?

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Just want to know if there is a going rate for SE London really? Nanny is full time live out, not perfect but nor are we, we are perfectly happy with her. She looks after DS1, aged 2.5 and DS2, aged 1, started when I went back to work in April. Neither DH or I get a bonus at Christmas.

Views or clues, anyone?

Whenever I got a bonus my CM did too, we don't get bonuses at Christmas either, so we used to give the CM £50 and buy a really nice Christmas decoration for her from DS.

I would say £50 would be about right... like the decoration idea as well... I jus think that if you are her only source of income, it would be a nice gesture if you could afford it and as you seemhappy with her, then it would be a nice acknowledgement -- just because our employeers are mean fisted t**ers (or is it just mine) does not mean we have to be the same... I give my cleaner a bonus..

Is the bonus instead of a present? Or as well as (christmas decoration aside...)

I don't give a bonus, but I do give a present. Sorry to say it won't be a weeks pay. I love my nanny and it's a nice thought, but simply not in the budget. I will however buy her a nice present (no idea what just yet!). Besides, all her little nannyjob friends read this wensite so I can't exactly type it here. Last year, we gave our nanny a DVD player, but current nanny already has one in her room so will have to get something else.

A weeks pay is generous. I used to give that when I was working and had my own bonus. We now give half a week's pay on both xmas and birthday, plus a present worth about £50 each time.
But she has been with us for 3 years and is truly scrumptious.

Bear in mind london nannies all talk to each other, and she may well have budgeted on getting some sort of bonus to get through the xmas season. Also bear in mind she will probably be buying presents for your children and possibly for you, of up to £30-40 all in and you are necessarily richer than her!

I have always give one week's pay as a bonus and then a smaller present. I have, of course, created a rod for my own back. Only do it if you are happy setting a precedent as once you have done it once, you can't really retreat from it!

I'm a nanny and have had a fair few employers (have been a nanny for 19 years, don't chop and change my job every 5 mins!! I have had various things for Christmas, from £1,000 bonus to a cuddly toy and book! (The money was from a "normal" family, not that well off, but wanted to show their appreciation, the toy and book were from a "very" well off family, I guess that may be a reason why they are still well off!!)

But the best presents I have had are a bracelet that my old twins "brought" me and a decent but not overly expensive camera which an ex boss brought when my old one was left out in the rain!! (Just showed that she thought about what I would need. My current employers (I have been with them 2 years) last year brought me a computer table as my pc was on a box!!

I also still wear the ring that my boss (a widower) went out especially and brought me 16 years ago, and when it broke about 2 years ago, he paid to have it mended!!

Money isn't always important, I agree that £50-£100 is nice and a present that shows a little thought, after all I am sure she'll put some thought into yours and the childrens presents!

Gosh this is early this year!

We do a week's money in cash, plus a nice present in the £30-50 bracket, bearing in mind that she will buy generous gifts for all 4 of us. But we are all in love with our nanny and cannot imagine life without her, so consider it an investment in terms of hoping to retain her for another year.

a weeks pay.

This all reminds me of that bit in 'The Nanny Diaries' where they give her a pair of ear muffs as a bonus.

Yes, well I did think I was starting off this thread a bit early but we need to budget for a decent bonus... I had in mind cash plus a small present which I hope she will like... this seems to "feel" right, thank you all

DP and I don't get bonuses, and I think our nanny was well aware that we were hardly sloshing around in money - we used to give her a day's extra pay, a present worth £10-20, and a present for her DS (but then she gave our DS one, to), and she seemed v happy.

I am an ex-nanny and now mummy... and depending on who and where I worked for depended on the bonus or crimbo gift I got...
Some families I just had gifts... ranging from box of chocs and vouchers to extravagant jewellry. Bonuses have been between £100-£1500... but I honestly think; even though the money was ace sometimes the gifts the parents had actually got their kids to make were the best and most memorable.
Take your child to glaze to amaze and make the nanny her own mug/plate/bowl. I'm sure she will be more touched with that than money. I know I would.